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Occupant Protection on School Buses

Occupant Protection on School Buses. Derek Graham Section Chief, Transportation Services NC Department of Public Instruction. The School Bus - It’s big, yellow and SAFE!. Students sit high above the impact zone

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Occupant Protection on School Buses

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  1. Occupant Protection on School Buses Derek Graham Section Chief, Transportation Services NC Department of Public Instruction

  2. The School Bus - It’s big, yellow and SAFE! • Students sit high above the impact zone • Many Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that are applicable only to school buses • Passive occupant protection system known as compartmentalization • Special equipment that is safety specific: Stop sign, warning lights, roof hatches, crossing arms, padded seats, and more

  3. We’ve Come a Long Way!

  4. Continuing Work on Occupant Protection • Compartmentalization is most effective in frontal and rear collisions • Risk of injury to students when they are ejected from the vehicle or otherwise leave the “compartment” • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Report to Congress. Report shows that 3-point restraints perform best.

  5. NHTSA TESTING - VIDEO

  6. Report to Congress • Students are nearly 8 times safer riding in a school bus than in cars - credit to compartmentalization • Requiring lap belts on large school buses would have little, if any, benefit in reducing serious-to-fatal injuries ain severe frontal crashes • Use of lap-shoulder belts could provide benefit if used properly

  7. Testing - 3 Point Restraints • 13 School Buses • 11 Counties • Digital Video Cameras

  8. Results • Good Feedback, esp. from drivers • reduced discipline problems • When left to the students, the belts will not be worn…..esp. in High School / Middle School

  9. To go to and from school, kids are safest when in a school bus! • NON-CONFORMING VEHICLES • Federal law requires that any new SCHOOL BUS (a vehicle built to transport 11 or more passengers including the driver and used to transport students to school or school-related events) sold or leased by a dealer meet all FMVSS’s applicable to school buses • In most places, there is no legal prohibition on BUYING or USING such a vehicle

  10. VANS IN SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION • 1994 - Jacob Strebler died in a van crash in South Carolina • School knowingly operated a less safe vehicle • School and the selling dealer settled the case with the parents

  11. National Transportation Safety Board Investigations • Studied four fatal crashes • Recommendations to each state: • Require that all vehicles transporting children to school and school related events meet school bus structural standards • Adopt NHTSA’s guidelines for the safe transportation of preschool children

  12. Multi-Function School Activity Bus • New Federal Classification of Vehicle • School Bus Construction Standards • Warning lights / Stop Sign not required

  13. Transportation of Pre-Kindergarten StudentsOn School Buses

  14. National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. Guidelines • Pre-K children should be transported in a Child Safety Restraint System (CSRS) • CSRS’s must meet Federal Standards for Seats and Anchorages • Most current bus seats in North Carolina don’t meet these specs • http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/buses/Guide1999/prekfinal.htm

  15. NHTSA GUIDELINES • Each pre-school age child to be transported has a CSRS appropriate for the child’s weight, height, and age. • The CSRS is used and secured correctly in the school bus. • All CSRS attachment hardware, anchorage systems and school bus seats meet Federal requirements. • Personnel are trained and pre-school age children are supervised acc. To their needs. • School-bus seats designated for CSRSs are located starting at the front of the vehicle to provide drivers with quick access to and a clear view of the CSRS occupants.

  16. NHTSA GUIDELINES (cont’d) • CSRS anchorages on school bus seats should meet all applicable FMVSSs. • When ordering new school buses, the maximum allowable seat spacing should be specified.. • If other students share seats with the CSRSs, the CSRSs are placed in window seating position. • When a school bus is retrofitted (per manufacturers instructions), the bus owner should ensure that seat spacing is sufficient for the CSRS to be used. • There needs to be a written evacuation plan and evacuation drills need to be practiced regularly. • CSRSs are not placed in school bus seats adjacent to emergency exits.

  17. Child Safety Restraint SystemsState Response • 2000 & 2001 model replacement buses were equipped with Thomas Built Bus MOMS (mobile occupant mini seat) seats in first two rows.

  18. Thomas Mobile Occupant Mini Seat (MOMS)

  19. MOMS • Standardized solution • Initially thought to be the solution. • Storing carriers presented problems, especially for multiple tripped buses when the carriers were not needed.

  20. C.E. White CSRS

  21. Other Child Safety Restraint Systems

  22. Retro-fitting CSRS • First 2 rows on 72, 66, and 53 passenger buses may be installed with CSRS without re-spacing the remainder of the seats. First row on 36 and 41 without re-spacing. • No CSRS can be installed adjacent to emergency exit windows. If needed, you may move the window and associated decals to a position that is not blocked by a seat back.

  23. Retrofitting Issues • Most NC seats are not “210 Compliant” • Not certified to have lap belts installed • Tested for forces from one direction • Seat Spacing Issues

  24. New Head Start Transportation Guidelines

  25. JANUARY 18, 2002 • All vehicles must be equipped with communication equipment and emergency safety equipment and must undergo an annual safety inspection. (Licensed or state operated) • All drivers must have a CDL, receive classroom and behind the wheel instruction, and be trained in first aid and emergency evacuation. • Routing must be done to limit one-way trips to and from a Head Start program to a maximum of one hour.

  26. JANUARY 20, 2004 • At least one monitor per vehicle and more if required by passenger needs. • All vehicles to be equipped with height- and weight-appropriate CSRSs and reverse beepers.

  27. JANUARY 18, 2006 • By 01/18/06, children to be transported to and from Head Start and Early Head Start programs on “school buses” or “allowable alternate vehicle” with CSRSs, reverse beeper, communication equipment and emergency equipment with signs

  28. Transporting Pre-K Students • Federal Guidelines • Equipment Issues • Head Start Guidelines • IT”S A WHOLE DIFFERENT GAME!!

  29. SECTION 1310.11: CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS • Effective date: January 20, 2004;

  30. SECTION 1310.11: CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS • Each agency must ensure that each vehicle…is equipped for use of height- and weight-appropriate child safety restraint systems.

  31. SECTION 1310.12: REQUIRED USE OF SCHOOL BUSES OR ALLOWABLE ALTERNATE VEHICLES • (a)Effective January 18, 2006, any agency providing transportation services must ensure that school buses or allowable alternate vehicles are used, …

  32. SECTION 1310.12 (cont’d) • …that they are equipped for use of height- and weight-appropriate child restraint systems and that they are equipped with reverse beepers. (Exception for home-based option is indicated.)

  33. HEAD START SECTION 1310.12(cont’d.) • (b)Effective February 20, 2001, each Head Start and Early Head Start agency receiving permission from HHS to purchase with grant funds a vehicle to be used to transport children in its program or its delegate agency’s program…

  34. HEAD START SECTION 1310.12(cont’d.) • … must ensure that the funds are used to purchase a school bus or an allowable alternate vehicle that is equipped as described in the previous slides.

  35. SECTION 1310.15: OPERATION OF VEHICLES • (a)On a vehicle equipped for use of such devices, each child weighing 50 pounds or less is seated in a child restraint system appropriate to the height and weight of the child while the vehicle is in motion.

  36. SECTION 1310.15 (cont’d) • (b)Baggage and other items transported in the passenger compartment must be properly stored and secured; aisles must remain clear; doors and emergency exits must remain unobstructed at all times.

  37. SECTION 1310.17 (cont’d) • (f)Each agency providing transportation services must ensure that: (1)annual observation of each driver includes an on-board observation of road performance;

  38. SECTION 1310.17 (cont’d) (2)monitors are “pre-trained” on child boarding and exiting procedures, use of child restraint systems, required paperwork, responses to emergencies, emergency evacuation procedures, use of special equipment, child pick-up and release procedures and pre-and post-trip vehicle check.

  39. SECTION 1310.20: TRIP ROUTING • (a)Ensure safety of children is primary consideration in planning fixed routes; • (b)Adhere to the following basic principles:

  40. SECTION 1310.20 (cont’d) (1)One-hour maximum ride-time unless no shorter route is available or a shorter route is unsafe; (2)No overloads;

  41. SECTION 1310.21: SAFETY EDUCATI0N • (a)Provide training in pedestrian safety for parents and children within the first 30 days of the program year. • (b)Ensure that children are taught:

  42. SECTION 1310.21 (cont’d) (1)safe riding practices; (2)safe loading/unloading procedures; (3)safe roadway crossing to and from the vehicle at stops;

  43. SECTION 1310.21 (cont’d) (4)Recognition of the danger zones around the vehicle; (5)Emergency evacuation procedures, including drills in the vehicle the children will be riding;

  44. SECTION 1310.20 (cont’d) • (c)Provide training for parents that: (1)emphasizes the importance of escorting their children to the vehicle stop and reinforcing training children receive regarding vehicle safety; and

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